Blind Love
by Hime-x-x
Summary: He lost his memories. She thought she lost him. But when two people share an intense connection, not even memory loss can stop them from finding each other again. Alternative scenario for Season 4. Elena is not a vampire.
1. Chapter 1

**Blind Love**

**A/N:**** This is my first Vampire Diaries fic, so please give me a chance to adjust from writing about Manga to writing about my favorite show. I have been thinking about this idea for a long time. There are a lot of Elena-memory loss fics so I decided to do the opposite. This is set where Elena is still human, I suppose the alternative to season 4.**

**Also the concept of this is that despite what's happening, it feels right for them, more specifically him.**

**I have no idea whether this story will work or not, but I would appreciate some reviews as per whether I'm doing alright, if it's interesting etc.**

_Damon, where the hell are you? _Elena thought; checking her phone for the hundredth time that evening. No missed calls, no texts, and no answer from his line. Typical Damon.

She mentally cursed, shoving her phone into her jeans pocket and switched the engine of her car back on to resume her search for the older Salvatore. She hadn't seen Damon since their trip to Denver, and although that was unusual for him, she presumed nothing was wrong until Stefan called her. He hadn't seen or heard from Damon either and fear had finally set in.

Damon wouldn't just disappear, would he? No, he promised her he wouldn't leave her again. Not when this whole thing with Klaus was still happening. Not after everything….

Her knuckles turned white from the strong grip on the steering wheel as she drove through the route Stefan gave to her for the second time. He definitely wasn't in Mystic Falls, that she was sure of.

Pulling into the side of the road, she hit the wheel in frustration. Her heart was thumping in a mixture of worry and anger. She took a deep breath. She had to remain calm; he was over 150 years old for God's sake.

He was probably off on the Damon binge spree special; feeding, fucking and killing. She gritted her teeth and her chest grew heavy with _jealousy _at the thought of Damon off with some sorority girls. No, she would fight with him later, when he was home. She knew it was his way of dealing with pain but that didn't mean that it hurt her any less.

_Think Elena, think. What would Damon do…_She sat still for what felt like minutes before coming to a sharp conclusion. Georgia! Of course he would go there; it would explain why he was gone for days. When he had brought her there for a much needed timeout, it helped her forget all about Mystic Falls, and the current problems they faced. She smiled at the memory.

Pulling back out her phone, she quickly typed a message to Stefan who was probably still at the far side of town searching.

**Message to:** _Stefan _

_Think I know where Damon is, will let you know when I get there. _

Several seconds later her phone vibrated. She opened the message quickly.

**Message From**_**:**__ Stefan_

_ Be Careful, I'm going to keep looking here._

Pushing the phone aside, she almost slammed on the accelerator, doing a U-turn in the direction of Georgia. A wave of guilt washed over her, she probably should have told Stefan she was driving all the way to Georgia when it was near dark. But he would have tried to stop her, and this was Damon so she couldn't wait for any body's approval. Lord knows he never did. She was finally taking a chapter from the impulsive Damon novels and it felt pretty good.

The drive was long, and tiring. Then again she didn't have Damon to keep her company like last time. Her eyes focused on the familiar signs as she passed by, and she began to feel anxious and excited at what she might find when she sees him. Would he be happy to see her? Would he try and shut her out for the hundredth time?

She turned a sharp left off the highway, glad to be near Georgia as the night was starting to hone in quickly. _Great, looks like I have to look for him in the dark. _She mentally laughed at the reaction Damon will have when he realizes what she did. She could easily picture those furious, yet soft and worried blue eyes that somehow see through her every time. Her cheeks warmed at the thought.

Switching on her lights so as to see the road better, she saw a bareback figure in the distance, walking in the middle of the narrow road. As she slowed her speed, she watched as the figure kept moving forward but slowly, as though dazed. She squinted to try get a better view.

A lump formed in her throat. What if it's like last time when she crashed her car to avoid one of Isobel's men? As much as she wished it was a drunk person staggering home, she knew better than to jump to a hasty conclusion. It could be a vampire, fooling her so the second she drops her guard, it pounces on her. The past 4 years taught her so much about the dangers that faced her and all of her doppelganger glory.

She reached for the vervain grenade in her purse on the passenger seat, just in case. Alaric had taught her how to temporarily stun a vampire for long enough to escape.

As the car moved closer to the unwavering figure that was still moving, Elena quickly attempted to drive around the man, only to slam on the brakes when she recognized the person.

"Damon!?" She couldn't believe it was him. His dark hair was tousled and wild, his cerulean eyes looking confused and empty. The intimidating yet sex exuding vampire that was Damon Salvatore seemed different... It was as though he was a former shell of himself.

Damon stopped walking and turned to look at her, his expression blank.

"Who are you?"

She eyed him warily before turning off the engine and hopping out of the car to him. After the uproar he caused with his disappearance, she was in no mood to play dumb. "Damon stop playing games, it's me, Elena"

She gasped when she took in his bare muscled chest which was covered in dry blood. Sure, she had seen him topless on numerous occasions but to know that he was hurt, hurt her. Unconsciously, she reached out to touch his defined chest but was greeted with air as he stepped back at vampire speed.

"I don't know you" His reply was deadpanned and almost accusing, as though he honestly didn't believe her.

Elena was taken aback; if this was a game it sure as hell wasn't funny. Her brown eyes were scanning him thoroughly; he looked as though he had been out on a three day binge, or at a festival of some sort. She sighed mentally, rolling her eyes before giving in and playing along. Whatever would help speed up them getting back to Mystic Falls.

"Elena Gilbert… you know… always getting into trouble, doppelganger, and Stefan's girlfriend?" She was waiting for him to break into that arrogant smirk and tease her for falling for such a stupid game, but instead she was greeted with furrowed brows and a piercing stare.

An awkward silence passed before he spoke up "Whose Stefan?"

She felt something inside her snap. Normally Damon's sarcasm and attitudes would result in an eye roll or a witty comeback. But today she had been so worked up on finding him that she was angry at how he was acting.

"Okay did you take something recently? Feed from someone who was on some sort of drug? Seriously Damon, this isn't funny. I can understand you avoiding me, and wanting to forget me but Stefan? You can't erase your brother from your memories. If you have a problem with us, take it out on me, not him!" Elena panted in anger, taking in a much needed breath.

She didn't miss the way his eyes darkened as he watched her; his stare never wavering. His nostrils flared as he quickly looked her over before returning to her eyes which were laced with accusation and worry? Whoever this girl was hell-bent on making sure they knew each other. He knew he should have ignored her and kept walking but there was something about her he recognized, but couldn't decipher.

"I don't know who Stefan is, or who you are for that matter…but there is something about you I can't figure out" His gaze softened as he focused on her. He couldn't remember her, or Stefan, or anything before today. But she was familiar, and as much as he hated it and it aggravated him, he needed to be around a familiar environment.

She felt as though her heart shattered. She had no idea what happened to him but all she knew was she needed to get him home and talk to Bonnie, maybe she could fix it. She slowly reached out and took his hand between her small ones, and placed it over her heart.

"That's because you do know me, Damon…and I know you. Trust me; I am going to help you remember. We will find a way." Her eyes almost pleaded with his as he searched her face for any signs of lies.

He nodded slowly. He could hear her heart thumping loudly and quickly beneath his hand and only for the fact that he felt as though she was the only important thing in his life right now, he would have torn into her neck and drained the life force from her.

She noticed how rigid his stance was, and how noticeably his icy blue orbs were shifting to the vein lined façade that was his vampire face. He diverted his gaze and exhaled the breath he had been holding.

"I'm sorry" His voice was barely above a whisper.

Elena felt a shudder wrack her spine. It was rare she saw this soft, gentle side of Damon so frequently. He was still Damon but not the rough, cold, arrogant vampire that she grew to care so deeply for. The façade he had perfected all those years ago. This shell of Damon was the broken, confused and lonely side of him, which he rarely let her see.

His gaze returned to her and she inhaled a sharp breath at the intensity of it. Even after Denver, he still had that hold over her that Stefan never had. She was sure if he kept looking at her like that, they would cross boundaries that they've neared before, and ones that he isn't ready for in this state of mind.

Breaking the eye contact, she cleared her throat in an attempt to settle her erratic heartbeat.

"Come on, we should head back home…everybody was worried about you."

She noticed his questioning look and before he could ask her about "everybody else", she waved him off and told him she would explain later. She climbed into the backseat and retrieved a blanket and grabbed the blood bag that Stefan left her in case.

She handed him the items and got into the driver's seat. He eyed the car before hesitantly getting in and tearing open the blood bag and draining its contents. He released a sigh of contentment once the bag was almost clear; his blue veins appearing and disappearing in just seconds.

Elena tried to keep her focus on the road as she turned her car back in the direction of Mystic Falls. She knew he was watching her and whatever feelings of tiredness she had, were now completely gone. She needed to say something.

"So um, do you remember anything before today?"

Damon turned his attention to the window and tried to focus. He couldn't remember anything. His mind was blank, the only clear indication of his past being the girl beside him.

"No..." He let out a low growl and she smiled to herself. Typical Damon to get annoyed by something he had no control over_. Maybe this side of him wasn't all too different. _

He must have seen her because when she glanced at him, he was staring back at her with a less than amused expression.

"Sorry..." She mumbled.

The silence in the car was deafening as she continued to drive; grateful they were finally leaving Georgia. She always thought the next time she went to Georgia would be under very different circumstances…and with Damon in a whole new light. But things were different now, she was with Stefan and Damon lost his memory. Things were far from how she would have liked it to be, and she had nobody to blame but herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted as her phone went off in her jeans pocket. Damon eyed her wearily as she pulled the phone out and saw Stefan's name flashing across the screen.

Grabbing a hold of the wheel firmly, she answered the phone on speakerphone and flashed an apologizing smile to Damon.

"Elena? Where are you?" Stefan's voice sounded frantic.

"Sorry Stefan I'm on the way home, I found Damon." She was watching Damon from the corner of her eye, waiting for his reaction to his younger brother's voice.

His brows were furrowed but he didn't say anything.

"Wait hold on, you FOUND him and your only telling me now?" Stefan's tone made Elena clench the wheel in frustration. Didn't he trust her with Damon to bring him home?

"It's more complicated than that. Damon, he-well he can't remember anything." Elena watched as Damon's jaw clenched. _Great._ She thought. The last thing she needed was an amnesiac angry Damon.

"What do you mean? Is he drunk?" Stefan's reply only further annoyed Damon, and he found it hard to contain his anger. Before he could even think of a reply to the brother he had no recollection of, Elena bet him to it.

"His memory is gone Stefan! We don't know what happened to him but I'm bringing him home, and maybe Bonnie can do something about reversing it." For the first time in her life, she could understand why Damon easily got pissed off with Stefan. This side of him was less than appealing.

There was a short silence from the other end of the line. "So he doesn't remember anything or anyone?" Stefan concluded.

"No."

"Not even me?"

Elena sighed sadly "No"

Another pause passed before he spoke up again.

"What about Katherine?"

Damon shook his head. Elena was surprised at that one. "No"

They heard Stefan clear his throat awkwardly. "And you...Does he remember you?"

Elena pursed her lips. She could perfectly picture what Stefan's reaction to this would be. He would become suspicious and slightly paranoid; accusing this of all being a hoax to try and win her over.

"Not exactly…its, well he doesn't remember me in general, but he feels as though he should know me.."

Another silence passed and Elena turned her gaze to Damon who was looking at her with that intense expression that he seemed to save for her on a regular basis. She shifted in her seat, trying to alleviate some of the heat that was inching lower and lower in her body. She was pretty sure Damon noticed because he looked at her with intensified interest.

Stefan's voice broke them out of their reverie.

"I see…Right I guess I'll see you when you get back."

Before she could respond, he hung up and the line went dead between them. She shook her head in frustration at Stefan's entirely too predictable attitude. He really needed to get over it, she chose him and he still had issues. It was a never ending cycle.

Reaching for her phone on the dashboard, she tried to keep her eye on the road while multitasking. She accidentally knocked the phone onto the floor and bent over to retrieve it, temporarily taking her eyes off the road. At that moment Damon had chosen to help her get the phone and their hands brushed slightly.

Elena's eyes met his in shock at the strong spark from such a simple touch. She knew she still had lingering feelings but she never thought they were as intense as that.

The moment was ruined by Damon shouting something at her and her hearing the loud screeching of tires at the same time. She never saw the bright headlights that were coming in their direction, nor Damon's rapid movements. It all happened so quickly.

Before she could comprehend what happened, she realized she was pressed against his familiar, hard chest and his arm firmly locked around her back and he was steering them away from the oncoming car, to safety. She would never understand vampire speed.

He had slowed the pace of the car and glanced down at her with concerned eyes. "You okay?"

She could feel the vibration of his voice through his chest which, still bare, was practically covering her entire body in protection. His spicy cologne scent filled her nostrils and she wanted to purr in contentment of the situation she was in. Her relaxed state was short lived as he was still staring at her waiting for her answer.

She nodded in confirmation, afraid her voice would come out in a squeak.

Much to her disappointment, he loosened his grip, allowing her to sit up in the passenger seat. She smiled shyly at him, smoothing out her clothes and putting on her seat belt which evidently was removed with force.

"Thank you Damon...I didn't even see it coming"

He gave her a reassuring smile and fixated his piercing yet intrigued stare on her again. He seemed to be in deep thought; mulling around in his head before he decided to take a chance. "Somehow, that doesn't feel like the first time I've saved you…"

Elena's eyes widened momentarily before she relaxed into a small smile. She nodded and his face lit up in interest.

"It wasn't, and I'm pretty sure it's not the last time either."

For the first time since shed found him she felt hope. His memories might not totally be lost, and for her, that was enough for now.

**Authors Note:**

**Okay so I know its short, but I can't give away too much in the first chapter. The rest will be longer if you guys think that it's worth continuing. Also, the rating will go up to M… ;)**

**Leave me your thoughts, please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ****Thank you all so much for your kind words and inspiring reviews. **

**Oh and some of you seem to think that Damon is going to stay in nice-guy mode but honestly, Damon wouldn't be Damon without his dark jackass side, so he is going to surface.**

**Warning: Mild Stelena in this chapter. Believe me when I say I was rolling my eyes writing this. I have to cover their b/s relationship in order to get to Delena!**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**Chapter 2**

Elena pulled into the driveway of the Salvatore Boarding house and parked the car next to where Damon's Camaro would usually be. She made a mental note to retrieve it for him before his memory returned. All hell would break loose if his "baby" was missing.

She turned to Damon who was eying the surroundings in contemplation. Her mind debated back and forth before she reached across and gently placed her hand on his; giving it a short squeeze.

"It's okay if you don't remember…nobody is going to judge you"

_Famous last words._ She thought. No doubt her earlier prediction of Stefan would become a reality the second they stepped through the door. She could only hope he wouldn't create a scene in front of Damon, or anyone else for that matter.

Her focus returned to Damon who was wearing one of his all too familiar pained smiles that she had seen on numerous occasions; her usually being the reason for them. She pushed aside the regretful memories and returned her focus to the older Salvatore.

"So it's just me and Stefan who live here?" He confirmed.

Elena nodded. "Yep"

"Huh…I see we're living up to the stereotypical vampire image. Honestly, I'm surprised this isn't on top of a dramatically spooky hill." He rolled his eyes but didn't smirk; his voice dripping with sarcasm. A quality Elena missed even though she hated when he used it sometimes; especially with her.

She broke into a giggle at his comment and for a moment it felt as though everything was back to normal, and they were just simply Damon and Elena. Except it wasn't, and in normal circumstances it was her that needed his help, but this time he needed hers, and she'd be damned if anyone tried to stop her.

They savored the weightless moment before Elena flashed him a reassuring smile and proceeded to open the car door. He appeared beside her by the time her foot hit the ground and waited for her. _Damn vampire speed._

They slowly trudged to the front door of the boarding house, where the door was suddenly flung open, startling them in the process. Before she could register what had happened, Damon had placed himself in front of her in a protective stance; fangs bared at a taken aback Stefan.

Elena placed a comforting hand on Damon's arm hoping to calm him down, seeing as he clearly didn't remember his younger brother. "Damon it's alright, it's only Stefan"

Stefan watched his bare chested older brother with caution as he seemed to relax under his girlfriend's touch and his fangs retracted almost as quick. His green eyes flitted between the two before he smiled awkwardly at his brother.

"Damon…I know you probably don't remember me, but I want you to know that I'm here for you nonetheless."

Damon's cerulean eyes narrowed as he looked his "newly found" younger brother up and down. He didn't miss the way that Stefan's smile didn't reach his eyes, or the way that he seemed extremely uncomfortable at the close proximity that he was with Elena. It was as though Stefan was viewing Damon as the stranger, rather than how it actually was.

Nevertheless, he returned the fake smile in typical Damon fashion. "Thanks for the concern, _brother_"

Elena watched the tense scene before her eyes and decided to break it up before a Salvatore brawl ensued. She carefully placed a hand on either chest of the vampires and pushed, but to no avail. Her strength was futile as neither one budged. It didn't go unnoticed that her hand that was on Damon's bare chest, was starting to get clammy. She blamed it her being tired from the drive home.

They diverted their focus to the girl who had stolen both their hearts, the fight completely forgotten.

She gave them both a warning glance before entering the Boarding House knowing full well that they were going to follow. She sighed inwardly. This wasn't going to be a straightforward as she had hoped.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Yeah…alright…That's fine Bonnie, see you tomorrow." Stefan's voice became clearer as he re-entered the parlor of the Boarding House. While Damon had gone upstairs to shower and change, he had called Bonnie and filled her in on what was going on.

He placed his phone back into his jeans pockets and found Elena sitting on the couch. Her eyes were focused on the fire as if in deep thought. She probably didn't even notice his presence.

Clearing his throat, Elena snapped out of her reverie as he walked over to join her on the couch.

"I called Bonnie, she's going to bring over Emily's Grimoire in the morning and see if there is anything that can…fix this."

Elena nodded in understanding. She knew she shouldn't but her hopes were high and she had complete faith that if anyone could help him, Bonnie could. Even though Bonnie held no ill will toward Damon anymore since her Grams death, she still disliked him, but that would probably never change. The sooner everything was back to normal, the better.

She reached across and squeezed Stefan's hand in a reassuring way; feeling as though he needed it. He returned the gesture and pulled her into his embrace tightly in an almost possessive manner. Elena knew that it wasn't normally in Stefan's nature to be so territorial, but when it came to Damon it was a whole other story and a whole lot of convincing.

When he eventually let her go, she cupped his cheek and ran her thumb along his jaw. Her brown eyes were scanning his green ones, almost pleading with him to believe her.

"You have nothing to worry about, I chose you, Stefan."

He smiled at her. "Let me get you some coffee. You've been gone for hours."

Elena smiled gratefully as he left to go to the kitchen. She couldn't help but repeat those words like a mantra in her head. _I chose Stefan, not Damon… It will always be Stefan. _At this point, she didn't know whether she was trying to reassure Stefan or herself anymore. She had chosen Stefan only a few days before this whole thing had happened. They hadn't seen or spoken to Damon after that and she had considered whether that was the last time she would see him. ..And he ended up in Georgia? She had yet to figure out that piece.

Footsteps approaching behind her awoke her from her thoughts. _Well that was the fastest cup of coffee ever made. _She was seriously underestimating this vampire speed.

Elena turned to retrieve the cup but instead came face to face with a freshly showered Damon who was staring at her with his usual intensive gaze. His black hair was damp and tousled on his head, obviously just having had a towel run through it.

His no longer bare chest was covered by one of his many black John Vervatos shirts which nicely accentuated the rippled muscles that lay underneath.

She found herself in a trance like state taking in his appearance. Her heart was fluttering erratically in her chest; something she still faced to this day seeing Damon every time. Would it ever stop? She was sure she would have a heart attack one of these days.

Judging by how he was smirking back at her, she knew that he was well aware of the affect he was having on her right now. She distracted herself by pouring bourbon from the decanter and offering it to him.

"Bourbon?"

He took the tumbler from her and took a long swig from it, savoring the familiar burning taste before swallowing. At least his taste for good bourbon was still there.

"Thanks".

His gaze followed her as she shuffled from one foot to another as if trying to get comfortable. She brushed a long strand of hair behind her ear and finally met his stare again.

"So how are you holding up?"

Damon took another drink and swirled the remaining contents. He honestly didn't know how to answer that. He was grateful to this girl that was for sure. If she hadn't found him he was sure there would be a mass of dead girls across the border by now. But he was here, at his _home… _and whether he liked it or not, he felt as though he owed her for possibly saving his undead life.

Tempted to reply with a sarcastic comment, he decided not to. He would keep them for the annoying younger brother who he had known for all of five minutes and already disliked.

"As well as can be expected given the circumstances".

Elena nodded thoughtfully and he took another sip nonchalantly.

"So are you staying tonight?" Damon tried not to sound too hopeful but he was sure he failed. Truth told; he wanted her there. She was all he had in an odd way, all he trusted until he was sure what happened to him. One thing was for sure, he knew that if Elena wasn't staying his baby brother would probably stake him in his sleep given the glares he gave him during their "reunion". He scoffed at the thought.

"Of course, I'm not going to leave you adjust to this alone Damon…I know Stefan's here but given the..uh..um connection I guess." She motioned between them frantically. "I think it would be better if I stayed here… Besides, if Bonnie is coming over in the morning it saves me the trip home and back."

He fought the urge to smile. Instead, he remained his usual cool-as-a-cucumber self and nodded.

"Will your family mind?"

Elena felt her heart tug painfully. It had been a long time since she had been asked about her family seeing as all she had anymore was Jeremy. She was caught off guard but it wasn't his fault. He had no memories of her really, and this obviously wasn't one of the familiar aspects of his connection with her.

She swallowed thickly, inwardly battling with her emotions. How she wished at that moment the glass of bourbon was in her hand instead.

"Ah, actually my parents died a few years ago…so the only person at home is my brother, Jeremy, and he spends most of his time at Bonnie's lately so I don't think he will notice if I'm gone for the night."

Damon had an odd flicker of déjà vu but before he could grasp the memory it was gone. If ever he could curse his life it was now. _Well done, jackass._

His chest slightly panged at seeing her eyes borderline tears. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and hold her against him until she was okay again, but it wouldn't be right at that moment. Especially seeing as his ever-so-punctual brother chose that moment to walk back into the room with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

Stefan's eyes flickered from Damon to Elena, taking in the scene, but Elena had a fake smile plastered on her face which Stefan didn't seem to see through. Damon scoffed, his brother was the one she was dating and he couldn't even read her emotions. _Clueless bastard..._

Damon watched as Elena took the cup and thanked him before kissing him on the cheek and dismissing herself to go to bed. He didn't miss the doe eyed glance she gave him as she was walking out of the room.

Yeah, he was sensing something more than just familiarity. He was starting to feel a little too warm toward Elena; his idiot-brothers girl…and judging by the feeling in his chest and mind, he knew that it wasn't the only familiar memory he had yet to discover.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0

_He was following her. He wasn't quite sure why but it was something that he found himself doing more often than he should. Just where the hell was she going at this time of night? And at that speed it was hard for him to keep up with her at an unseen distance._

_The sudden screech of tires, windows smashing and what sounded like metal being crushed made his undead heart drop in his chest. He shouldn't care, brothers girl and all, but he did. _

_Before he could register what was happening, he was racing in the direction of the noise which had just as quickly stopped. His senses perked as he picked up her heartbeat and another presence? No heartbeat…which only meant one thing._

_A low growl formed in his throat at the thought of a vampire harming Elena. Pride be damned. She wasn't going to die on his watch. He blamed the protective attitude on her resemblance to Katherine._

_He could barely make out the dark figure in the distance in front of the overturned car which he recognized as Elena's. _

_Her heart rate started racing erratically and her blood curdling screams rang through his ears. In a flash the vampire had disappeared to God knows where and instead he was on his knees peering in at the panic stricken Elena who began to scream again at the sudden appearance of another dark figure._

_She fought against the restraints of her clearly stuck seat belt and looked in the opposite direction, possibly trying to find a way out. _

_Shit she was stuck, he noticed. Her head was pressed against the roof of the overturned car, and the belt was jammed. Had he not been a vampire he was sure he would have to call for help. He had to remain calm for her sake; she was probably on the verge of a heart attack judging by her throbbing pulse that seemed ready to burst out of her._

"_How're you doing in there?" _

_Her doe eyes that could make any man fall to his knees snapped in his direction, water glazed and wide. She called his name as more of a plea but held relief at the same time at the familiar face._

"_You look stuck." He noted, eying the damage of the side he was at. He stood up and grabbed the edge of the broken window, ready to rip the door off its hinges completely, so he could have better access to her._

"_It's my seat belt" She sobbed, probably not understanding what he was about to do._

"_Shh shh shh" He whispered, in an attempt to calm her as he suddenly ripped the door away from the car and chucked it to the side. She was still in shock but they weren't out of the clear yet._

_He quickly dropped to his knees again and was barely a foot away from her now as she breathed heavily, still processing what was going on._

"_I'm gonna get you out of here…I want you to put your hands on the roof." He watched as she slowly managed to place her hands on the roof before he continued. _

"_Just like that...You ready?" His gaze on her didn't waver as she looked at him and nodded shakily. _

"_One…two…three" He ripped the seat belt on the third count and used his vampire reflexes to catch her before she hurt herself further._

_ "Gotcha" He whispered, carrying her out of the wreck and keeping his concerned eyes on her the entire time._

"_You okay…can you stand?" Her responses came out only as low noises, as he held her in his arms. _

_"Is anything broken?" She managed to shake her head to that one, much to his relief._

_He gently set her down on her feet, keeping one arm around her back for balance as she held his shoulder. He pulled her up further, to straighten her stance, but regretted it as her legs caved instantly, and he reflexively caught her waist to stop her from hitting the concrete. _

_She was definitely in and out of consciousness judging by how she couldn't keep her eyes open. _

"_You're fading fast Elena." He cupped her cheek but still got no response. _

"_Elena. Look at me" He tugged on her bottom lip and her eyes fluttered open. "Focus" He ordered, watching as her eyes were pooled with water and diverting to the ground and back to him._

"_Look at me" He repeated and she complied. "You're okay." He whispered to himself. He was relieved; she wasn't concussed, no major damage. She was okay._

_He still held her bottom lip to keep her attention as they stared at one another for several seconds. The next sentence completely threw him off guard._

"_I look like her." She stated sadly, her eyes re-flooding with tears. _

"_What?" Where the hell did that come from? He didn't get a chance to dwell on her train of thought as her eyes rolled back into her head and her body fell backward, taking him with her._

_Both his arms slowed the movement as he gently eased her lower half onto the road and held her torso against his chest. He absentmindedly stroked her hair; tucking a piece behind her ear as he took in her relaxed, unconscious features. His gaze softened. He cared and he knew it, although he would never admit it to anyone._

_The moment was short-lived as his awareness kicked in and his eyes darted around the surroundings, looking for any signs of the vampire that had signed his death warrant by putting Elena in danger. There was nothing._

_He knew he had to get her to safety yet he didn't want to leave her alone. She was obviously getting away from Mystic Falls seeing as she was near the border so his place and her house were out of the question. He could decide en-route, but first he needed to move her._

"_Oopsy Daisy" He said to himself, scooping his hands under her thighs and lifting her effortlessly into his arms protectively. He began to carry her away from the wreckage that was her car and instead toward the direction of his much adored Camaro. _

_He decided there and then. He would take Elena to Georgia._

_0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0_

Damon shot up in bed, sweat beads on his forehead. It was just a dream. A vivid, realistic dream, but it wasn't real…was it? He made a mental note to look further into it.

He could hear muffled voices through the floors below. He recognized Stefan's voice and a female voice which definitely wasn't Elena's. _ Probably the witch_, he mused.

Quickly, he jumped out of bed and showered quickly, anxious to meet this witch that could help him. Today he would get his memories back, and his world would make sense again.

"So you're basically saying that everyone he has ever known has been erased from his memory?" Bonnie asked, her eyes flickering from Stefan to Elena who were standing in front of her in the Salvatore main room.

Stefan diverted his eyes to Elena, letting her answer given that she had spent the most time with Damon since his disappearance.

"That's what it looks like…although he kind of remembers me." Elena didn't miss Stefan's lips forming into a thin line nor the way his green eyes narrowed. She resisted the urge to throw a pillow at him for his childish attitude and instead rolled her eyes.

Bonnie watched the tense scene between the two and decided not to pry.

"Okay…define kind of?"

Elena sighed but chose to ignore the accusing eyes of her boyfriend. She opened her mouth to attempt explaining the situation to her best friend but was beaten to it by _his_ velvet laced voice.

"So this must be the witch"

All eyes turned and watched as Damon strolled into the room, freshly clad in dark jeans and a black shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. His eyes left Bonnie's judging ones to look at Elena who shivered under the intensity of it. A dull throb formed between her legs and his eyes darkened, noticing her sudden shift in mood. There was something more going on in their _"little connection_" than just friends and he was sure as hell going to find out what.

Elena mentally prayed that Stefan didn't notice her shameful reaction toward Damon, but saw how his attention was solely focused on his brother in a less than polite way.

Bonnie smiled bitterly back at Damon. She noted that he hadn't lost his attitude much to her annoyance.

"The witch that's going to help you get your memories back, Damon. A little gratitude wouldn't hurt."

Damon snorted and was about to reply with a snarky comment but Stefan spoke up in an attempt to diffuse the situation. _Of course…_

"As great as it is to see some things haven't changed, I think we should try get to the bottom of this before anything else."

Bonnie nodded in agreement and opened her duffel bag to reveal an old Grimoire; flicking through the pages for several seconds before stopping. She quickly read it to herself and then took a step toward Damon who instinctively took one back.

Elena furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Damon what are you doing?"

He took his cerulean eyes away from the witch who looked just as weary at his hesitance and looked at Elena who had inched her way closer to him.

"I don't trust her." He stated flatly; his accusing stare returning to Bonnie who rolled her eyes as though she was used to hearing it.

"Look I'm not doing this for _you_; I'm doing this for Elena and Stefan. They asked for my help and I owe them anyway." Bonnie replied harshly.

Elena placed a supportive hand on his upper arm and rubbed it gently; missing the glare from Stefan and the suspicious look from Bonnie. And she didn't care, she promised Damon her support and that's what he was getting.

She felt his muscles relax under his shirt as the tension left his body. His hardened blue eyes softened into the baby blue ones that she rarely saw except for the times they were alone. It felt like forever since they had one of those meetings where he would suddenly turn up.

"It'll be okay…trust me Damon. I'm right here with you through this."

He stared at her for a few seconds before nodding and looking back at the witch who was watching them with great intensity along with his less-than-impressed brood of a brother. Man, he was getting on his nerves.

Bonnie ushered him to the armchair where he sat and she placed to hands on either side of his head before closing her eyes and chanting in a language that sounded a lot like Hebrew. Elena stood nearby, maintaining eye contact with Damon who didn't even blink through the piercing stare. She swallowed thickly as Stefan gripped her waist a little tighter.

_Caveman…_She mused in her head.

Just then Bonnie released his head and opened her eyes; an expression of interest across her dark features. "Huh…"

Damon looked up at her with curiosity as she seemed deep in thought for several seconds. The tension could have cut a knife.

"What, what is it?" Elena rambled nervously; both Salvatore's looked at her little outburst.

Bonnie's brown eyes narrowed as she tried to piece together the information that she had seen in Damon's mind.

"It seems as though Damon had some sort of spell put on him…whoever did this, did it for a reason." Bonnie mumbled. Sure Damon wasn't exactly everybody's favorite person but he sure as hell was hated by the witch that performed it.

Elena and Stefan shared a look of disbelief while Damon was taking note to rip out the throat of whoever did this to him. _Great. _He thought. Not only did he feel more confused, but he had somehow pissed off a strong witch who he couldn't even get revenge on.

"Well can't you undo it?!" Elena's voice was laced with the worry she was trying to keep to a minimum, for Damon's sake, but failed seeing as he was gripping the arm rests so hard they were starting to crack.

Bonnie began searching through the pages of Emily's Grimoire again looking for a memory spell she was sure she had come across when she first read through it.

"I can try if I find the spell that I once-ah here we go." She stopped on a page near the end of the book and scanned through it quickly.

Confident that she was sure of what to do, Bonnie re-approached Damon who was still tense. She placed a hand in front of his face, completely blocking his view of anything and began murmuring in a low voice.

A growl erupted from Damon as a shooting pain ripped through his head suddenly and his fangs descended in an automatic response. Stefan wrapped an arm around Elena whose eyes were watering at seeing Damon in pain.

Bonnie stopped chanting and rested her arm by her side as Damon breathed heavily trying to control the urge to snap her neck. Instead he focused on remembering and found his mind was even hazier than before if that was even possible.

"What the hell did you do!" he snarled; fangs lengthening in anger. He stood up by means of intimidating the petite witch; only to suddenly slump to the floor like a sack of potatoes as his vision went black.

"Damon!" Elena pulled herself out of Stefan's "comforting" embrace and ran to the older Salvatore who was unconscious. Lifting him up was out of the question so she pulled his head onto her legs and examined his peaceful expression. "W-what did you do to him?"

Stefan hadn't moved from his spot and instead settled for wearing his now trademarked suspicious and brooding expression that he had whenever her concern for Damon showed. Bonnie didn't seem fazed at Damon's state and instead proceeded to gather her belongings as she spoke.

"The spell I used will bring back his memories alright, but not all at once. They should start coming in flashbacks when he wakes up." She explained; looking between Elena and Stefan. "That's all I can do, but they will eventually come back. Maybe then he can remember what happened to him"

Elena nodded gratefully and Stefan walked over and hoisted his brother over his shoulder easily before carrying him in the direction of his room; briefly thanking Bonnie on the way out.

Elena walked Bonnie to the door of the Salvatore home and thanked her again; the hope and relief coursing through her. She had really thought she lost Damon, as selfish as it was, she wasn't sure she could let him out of her life.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Bonnie cleared her throat before leaning in and whispering so that Stefan couldn't hear the conversation.

"Elena listen, I'm not entirely sure what was going on between you and Damon before, but you made your choice so stick to it."

Elena felt her face heat up at Bonnie's blunt yet harsh words. Where the hell did that come from? Her worry for Damon was purely platonic… _I think_…

"Bonnie what are you talking about? Damon is just a friend, nothing more. I love Stefan, it will always be Stefan." It worried her how unconvincing she sounded to herself. She sounded like she was reading a script for the first time. It sickened her that her heart ached at how forced she felt.

Bonnie gave her one last look before nodding, accepting her answer and heading back toward her car. She watched as her friend drove away for breathing a sigh of relief. _Thank God…_. She managed to convince "judgy" as Damon called her, and now all she had to do was try to convince and re-assure herself she meant those words.

She inwardly groaned as she shut the wooden door to the Boarding House and made her way toward the stairs.

Life was never going to be easy when you were _friends _with Damon Salvatore.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**A/N: Hope this chapter was okay. Rating goes up to M next chapter for some good old DEx Tension.**

**Leave a review if you can! Thanks for reading .**

**You guys can follow me on twitter: liz_bomb. It's a VD a/c so feel free to chat to me any time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: ****Thank you to all the people who follow and review this story! I'm sorry for the late update, life's been pretty hectic lately but don't worry; Delena's very much in the air with that finale! Damon was finally chosen! And heres to Delena phone sex in s5! **

**Also, Damon's going to be his usual jackass/arrogant self. Cute confused Damon is still there but now his memories are appearing, he will be back to his old seductive self. **

**And with that note; on with this story! Keep reading and reviewing guys, it's really appreciated****.**

**Warning: 1)**** This chapter contains Adult M.**

**2)Also Elena's going to be a lot more stubborn and tough in this both to Stefan and her friends, some people make her out too weak. **

**You were warned!  
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
**

_He lay completely still. The sky was dark and cloudless, much like his state of mind… the road quiet. _

_His cerulean eyes stared blankly ahead; waiting for an unsuspecting victim who would come to his 'rescue' only to have their throats ripped out and his thirst quenched. A.K.A: The Katherine special. _

_His plans were briefly interrupted when he heard__** her**__. Damon turned his head in the direction of the voice that haunted him since the Irony._

"_I know Bonnie…You're right. You and my mom both are, I just…I can't bring myself to tell him…".She sharply inhaled before continuing. "At least not tonight..."_

_Her body came to a halt as she sighed into the phone, then hanging up. "I'll call you later." _

_Not wasting another minute, Damon flashed in front of the brown haired beauty who had stolen not only his humanity, but his heart. It was really her, after all these years of pining for her._

"_Katherine…" he breathed, a little awed._

_Doe eyes looked up and locked with his and his expression instantly faltered. Those eyes were completely different from the cold and seducing ones he had fallen for. These oozed emotion; a concept he wasn't recently too familiar with and one that Katherine definitely lacked._

_It wasn't her, he wasn't sure how but it wasn't. It couldn't be._

_The dead ringer stared back at him confused; her brows creased lightly in misunderstanding. _

"_Um...no I-" She glanced behind her to see if 'Katherine' was there, only to be greeted by an empty space, and turned back again; still confused by his mistaking. "-I'm Elena" She finished warily, watching his response._

_His eyes narrowed again as they scanned her up and down quickly, not finding a difference in their physicality, other than how they dressed. He was completely baffled._

"_Oh…you…you just look-"He blinked, shaking his head incredulously and seeing her tense and frown a little; a very un-Katherine like move. _

_He needed to lighten up the conversation before she ran away. He didn't want to hurt her; he was utterly intrigued by this polar opposite twin of his former lover._

_He looked at Elena curiously, very slowly approaching her so she wasn't spooked. "I'm sorry…you just really remind me of someone…" _

_He stopped about 6 feet away from her, trying not to make her too uncomfortable. _

"_I'm Damon" He said; unsure of what to say, but not wanting the conversation to end yet._

_Elena relaxed visibly at hearing his name, shuffling from one foot to the other as she took in his dark appearance. _

"_Not to be rude or anything Damon, but…it's kinda creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." Her eyes were still wandering his body; ensuring him that despite her calling him a creep just now, she didn't have a problem with his looks. Not surprising._

_Wanting to turn the conversation playful, instead of compelling her to relax, Damon raised his arms up; almost shrugging_

"_You're one to talk" He flashed his trademark smirk, a mischievous look in his eyes. "You're out here all by yourself"_

_Elena shrugged back, looking away as if what he said was the most stupid thing in the world. _

"_It's Mystic Falls…nothing bad ever happens here". _

_She looked back to him waiting for his comeback. Damon stared at her, lost for words and taken aback at her response. She really wasn't Katherine, in any way. _

_An awkward silence passed as he continued to stare wide eyed. Her naivety surprised him, along with her anti-Katherine persona. _

_She broke him out of his reverie as she glanced at her phone and smiled sadly._

"_Got into a fight with my boyfriend"_

"_About what?" He raised his hands in defence to her. "May I ask?"_

_Elena looked down at her feet, shaking her head, and looking back up again._

"_Life…the future…he's got it all mapped out" Her brown eyes widened as she emphasised the 'all' part. _

_Damons lips pursed slightly before twitching into a small smile. _

"_You don't want it?"_

_She looked behind him, unsure of her answer._

"_I don't know what I want."_

_He mock frowned at her, tilting his head to the side to look at her._

"_Well that's not true…" he shook his head slightly. "You want what everybody wants"_

_Brown eyes softened as she tilted her head to the side too, regarding him with interest._

"_What? A mysterious stranger who has all the answers?" She smiled playfully and he laughed at her answer._

"_Well let's just say that I've been around for a long time." Damon paused to grin playfully back before settling on his smirk. "I've learned a few things". _

_He knew she wouldn't get the double meaning to it, but he still had her attention, and he was happy about that._

"_So Damon, tell me…What is it that I want?" _

_His smirk faded to a serious yet soft expression as he resumed stepping toward her as he spoke. _

"_You want a love that consumes you…you want passion, adventure…and even a little danger" _

_He stopped inches from her; seeing the playful expression had gone and something else instead was lingering in her eyes. She was captivated by his words._

_The smirk reappeared, having noticed the affect he had on her and she blinked herself out of her stupor and resumed her composure._

"_So what do you want?"_

_That question threw him off guard as he looked down in contemplation of what he would say, a breath escaping him._

_A car horn sounded, distracting them both, and Elena looked behind her. _

"_That's my parents" she noted, turning back to part ways with Damon, only for him to be a fraction away from her face, staring deeply into her eyes._

"_I want you to get everything you're looking for…but right now I want you to forget this happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet" His compulsion sunk into her as he regarded her with one last glance._

"_Goodnight Elena" he breathed sadly, leaving her to her parents._

Shooting up in his bed, Damon found himself once again covered in his own sweat and breathing heavily.

Another lucid memory dream struck, that had left him putting the pieces of his memory back together. He now remembered 1864; Stefan, his spiteful father, and Katherine both in past and present. He hated her so much so that he was sure pre-memory loss him didn't feel this strongly about it before. She was so different to Elena.

_Elena…_

His thoughts drifted to her and his memory of their first meeting. It confused the hell out of him and he would have to ask her about it. But now, he needed and shower and some blood.

Having washed, changed his clothes and grabbed a blood bag; he located her heartbeat in one of the spare rooms not too far from his. She was sprawled out on top of the bed, her eyes closed and her chest heaving.

A sense of déjà vu washed over him as he studied her peaceful expression. He slowly lifted a finger and trailed it down her flushed cheek, tempted to delve into her mind to see what she was dreaming of.

"Damon…" A soft moan escaped from her lips.

He froze mid stroke, afraid she had woken but her eyes remained closed as she shifted slightly on the bed, and toward his touch.

A shot of heat pulsated through him. She was dreaming of him?

Quickly weighing the pros and cons he decided to just look for a moment to see what he was doing in her sleep.

He closed his eyes and focused intensely on her mind, the picture slowly focusing in.

_They were lying on a bed in some sort of dark room… not that he cared; he was too busy focusing on their entwined fingers and her heavy breathing matching the pace of that erratic heartbeat. _

_He was staring at her, unsure of what else to do, as her eyes darted around the room to anything but him. _

_Letting out a ragged breath, Elena got off the bed suddenly, grabbing her jumper and leaving the seedy room. He made no move to stop her and instead opted to follow her, this dream taking a toll for the best._

_She had her back to him, still breathing heavily, and although he made no sound following her, she seemed to know he was there._

"_Don't…" _

_He didn't know what she meant by that. Then again, this was her dream, so he went along with what felt natural._

"_Why not?"_

_She didn't reply and instead kept her back to him, shaking her head as if she was inwardly arguing with herself. _

"_Elena…" His voice was barely above a whisper, trying to coax her into making some sense of the only word she had spoken to him so far in this dream._

_She whirled around and took three long strides toward him; closing that distance between them by clasping his face and suddenly pressing both her body and lips against his in a frenzied heat._

Damon stumbled away from the bed; breaking the connection to her dream as a whirlwind of emotion struck him. The second their lips met, he could have sworn it was way too familiar for a dream…the dialogue, the setting…that kiss.

_Was it a memory?!_ He paced the room quietly, in shock as if she had just kissed him then and there.

His mind was reeling with confusion. It wasn't possible she could retrieve his memories…was it? Then again, it may have been a coincidence she was dreaming of it.

Damon cursed himself mentally; he hated being confused. Taking one last look at the flushed sleeping form, he made a note to find her later when she was awake and able to talk, and when he had cleared his head.

One thing was for sure, they definitely weren't just _friends _and he sure as hell was going to get to the bottom of that.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Elena hopped into her car, having left the unusually quiet and empty Boarding house, to go home and shower before she met Caroline at the Grille. That lucid memory dream left her in dire need of a cold shower, and forever grateful that neither Salvatore was around to hear or even smell what was going on.

As weird as it was to think it had only been a week or so since that fateful night she had nearly given herself completely over to Damon, it was even weirder to think how much had happened since then. Choosing Stefan, Alaric dying, she nearly becomes a vampire, and Damon loses his memory.

Her thoughts rested on Damon.

Had he gotten back some memories? Having been unconscious for a full 24hours, surely he retrieved something…

_Was it the motel? _She wondered, a familiar tingling heating up between her already aching thighs.

Her foot hit the accelerator harder; adamant on getting to that shower quicker and getting rid of this 'temporary inconvenience'.

Parking in the driveway, Elena quickly opened the door and raced upstairs briefly calling Jeremy's name but to no answer. She was already late and Caroline would kill her, especially for the reason why she was.

She turned on the shower and let it adjust while dropping a quick text to the blonde vampire.

**Message to: **_Care_

_Hey Care, I'm running a little late so please wait for me! I'm really sorry but once I get there I'll fill you in on everything, promise! _

Not 5 seconds had passed before her phone buzzed with a reply from her friend who was probably waiting for her as she read it.

**Message from: **_Care_

_Fine, you so owe me for this!_

_Xoxo_

Elena laughed. Caroline would most likely make her pay her debt by going shopping, and as much as she hated it, Caroline always found some great outfits for her to wear.

She dropped her phone on the bed and raced to the bathroom, where the water was at a cool, calming temperature. She stripped down, discarding the soaked panties into her wash basket, and stepped into the water; instantly undoing everything her dreams had created.

Fifteen minutes later and fresh faced, Elena entered the Grill where Caroline was sitting alone at the booth, playing with her phone. Her blue eyes flickered in Elena's direction and lit up when she saw her best friend.

"Finally! I was beginning to feel stood up!" the blonde shrieked as Elena moved to sit in the opposite booth.

"I know I'm sorry Care, I had to…take care of something" She admitted honestly, picking up the menu and pretending to read it instead of meeting her suspicious friend's expression.

A silence passed as one of the young waiters came over and took their orders, trying to start up a conversation but only to be shooed away by an uninterested Caroline.

They made small talk about school, prom preparation, and Caroline's personal favorite; boys. Their food was brought in the meantime and they ate in a comfortable silence until Caroline broke it.

"So Elena, speaking of boys….Bonnie told me that Damon lost his memories?"

Elena looked up from eating her burger and fries and watched as Caroline calmly took a sip out of her cocktail. She knew this mask; Caroline had her poker face on.

"Yeah…you remember he went missing for a few days, right? Well I found him in Georgia, and he couldn't remember me at all- well at first anyway" She corrected herself; picking up her beer and taking a swig.

Caroline lowered her glass and looked Elena dead in the eyes. "Georgia…as in two states away Georgia? And what do you mean he didn't remember you at first?"

Elena sighed and put down her beer. She could see this going down the same Stefan route…disbelief followed by good old accusation of Damon as his dark ways.

"He said I felt familiar, that I was the only person he felt he could trust at that moment…Care you should have seen him, he…he looked so scared, and lonely and -"

The bubbly and chirpy cheerleader interrupted her; a look of realization dawned on her face.

"OMG of course! You're crushing hard on Damon freaking Salvatore!"

Elena felt her face heat up and her mouth open in shock and protest, but ended up looking like a fish.

"I am not! I'm worried about him like I would worry about you guys, had it been any of you! Stefan feels the same as me"

Caroline's eyebrow rose comically. "Really? Because I was talking to Stefan earlier and he didn't even bring up Damon so think again."

Elena opened her mouth in retort but Caroline held up a manicured hand to stop her.

"Save it, Elena... God! Just admit it; you are **attracted **to him and all of his bad brother glory!"

Elena shook her head, struggling to find words. It was true… attracted was putting it mildly, but she wasn't going to tell Caroline that given her regard for and past with Damon.

Caroline broke her out of her thoughts with another 'startling discovery' that she would no doubt share with her.

"Of course…it makes sense now" She murmured in an almost compelled voice. Caroline's eyes darted from the table to Elena's brown eyes; gripping her hand suddenly.

"Think about it, Elena! You choose Stefan over Damon…Damon then disappears, worrying both you and Stefan…Damon then returns with 'no memory'-" She let go of her hand to do the sarcasm symbol and continued. "-And a vague recollection of you… Next thing you know, you two are getting close and you break up with Stefan for Damon! It all makes sense, don't you see?!"

Caroline looked at her human friend in hopes that she too, would piece it together and they could expose Damon for the evil fraud he was.

_SLAP._

She hadn't expected Elena to collide her palm with the side of her cheek; snapping her out of her train of thought. A very un-Elena like move.

Elena stood up; ignoring the silence that filled the Grille after the sudden display of anger. She was seething.

"How dare you. You know what? It didn't surprise me when Stefan got slightly suspicious, but you? And even Bonnie seems to be on that side too…I just…I can't even look at you right now."

She grabbed her leather jacket and purse and didn't look back at her friend who seemed far to shocked to even say or do anything but listen.

"I get what he did to you, and Bonnie too, I do… But what I don't get is how none of you have seen how much he has changed since those days…it seems to me like he's the only one who has changed, and I mean it in a good way."

And with that, she strode out of the Grille, not even looking at Matt behind the bar; who stopped pouring a drink mid hold to watch his ex-girlfriend leave.  
_

Elena pulled into the driveway which she had not too long ago left, and exited her car, seeing Jeremy walk up the drive behind her.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here"

"I could say the same about you…Bonnie's not with you?" She answered; unlocking the front door with Jeremy in tow.

"No she got a call from Caroline, something came up I think. I figured you would be with them".

Jeremy watched as Elena busied herself in the kitchen; checking cupboards and the fridge randomly.

"Actually I just came from hanging with Caroline and she seemed her usual self to me" Elena replied curtly.

_Yeah, her usual self when it comes to Damon. _She shook her head in dismissal and barely heard Jeremy say something about going out, but instead hearing the door shut.

She reached in toward the back of the top cupboard and felt around until she found what she was looking for. _Aha!_ She pulled out a half empty bottle of bourbon that Ric had stashed from Jeremy a couple of months ago.

Popping open the bottle, she poured a good amount into the tumbler and re-hid the bottle before taking a swig out of it as she headed upstairs.

Opening the door to her room, she almost dropped the tumbler onto the ground at the sight of the elder blue-eyed Salvatore calmly sitting on her bed as though it was his own.

"Is that for me? Or have you decided to rebel and take up underage drinking?" His expression remained serious and his gaze unwavering. Elena was unsure of how to respond, not knowing if he was joking or being serious.

She opted for distracting him, still not moving from the doorway.

"How did you know where I live?" _Stupid question_; she chided herself.

"Instinct I guess" he shrugged, standing up in an almost intimidating manner before continuing and taking leisurely steps forward. "But I'm not here to make small talk…I'm here to ask you about some rather _interesting_ memories I've been having".

Damon now stood less than 2ft away from Elena whose knuckles were too white for comfort. Despite her stuttered heartbeat, which didn't go unnoticed, she kept composure and took another heaped sip of the bourbon.

"Oh?"

Her doe eyes that once would have given his un-dead heart a heartbeat didn't work on him. Now that he had regained a lot of his memories, pieces of the puzzles that were Elena were now coming together. He didn't miss how her breathing became uneven, or how she clung to the nearly finished tumbler of bourbon like it would save her.

Ever cool as a cucumber; he slowly paced her room.

"Mmhmm…in fact; I don't think you were being completely honest to me about our _relationship_".

Elena nearly spat up the remains of the bourbon and quickly dropped the glass onto the nearby shelf._ What the hell kind of memories did he regain? _

A wave of panic washed over her; did he really remember everything that happened between them already? But wouldn't he remember their phone conversation? Her choice…Oh how she wished she had handled that better.

The pair of deep blue eyes that haunted her thoughts and dreams was suddenly the only thing in her peripheral; shocking her out of her reverie. A small gasp escaped her lips at the proximity. Being this close with Damon was treading a fine line between friend zone and dangerous territory, and she was bad at differentiating the two.

The infamous trademark smirk that made up Damon Salvatore had appeared as quickly as it had disappeared; clearly noticing her distraction. He leaned further, leaving inches apart from their lips.

"Distracted, are we, _Elena_?"

The way her name rolled of his tongue would have probably sent her to her knees had it not been for the alcohol courage that coursed through her veins. He was too close, and too aware of the fact that the growing ache he had unknowingly caused earlier, was returning with full power. He was back to being the predator and seducer Damon; the one that she "hated" all those years ago, but secretly wanted as much as the next girl.

Taking advantage of the liquid courage she roughly pushed against his chest, needing distance.

"Back up Damon… It's great your memories are coming back, but I think you're confusing me with your memories of Katherine. Our _relationship_ never got past platonic."

He scoffed in response; all playfulness gone.

"Oh really? I remember Katherine alright, as much as I could have done without it, but I'm almost 100% certain that it wasn't her who I share memories with from that motel, or even the time we first met after you had a fight with some guy you were dating!"

Elena's expression changed from mortified to disbelief in seconds. She wasn't dating anyone when she met Damon for the first time. She wasn't even with Stefan! And she was pretty sure she was not blabbing about some guy to a potential love interest's brother upon their first meeting. Who does that?!

"Okay now I definitely know you're lying. You and I never spoke about _"some guy I was dating"_ when we first met. We were talking about Stefan! God Damon, you even started to bring up Katherine at one point!"

Damon felt a wave of familiarity. His mind was piecing together a very faint image of him flirting with Elena; kissing her hand and talking to her in…the Boarding House? But how could they have met as strangers twice then? If he was human he was sure he would have a headache from all the confusion.

He had to know if she remembered his memory. It was killing him and intriguing him at the same time, that they both had a very different recollection of this meeting.

"So you don't remember the other time?"

"There was no other time!" He flinched slightly at her tone.

Elena regretted shouting. It wasn't his fault he was confused. She promised she wouldn't give up on him, and she was going to see it through. Damon had put up with her denial over Stefan leaving with Klaus all those months ago, and she was going to return the favour.

"I'm sorry for shouting, Damon…Its just; I don't remember what you do. Maybe after a few days when your head clears, so will these memories"

In one fluid motion; Damon had cupped her face and was staring into her slow processing chocolate orbs at the sudden movement.

"No…"He murmured in an almost inaudible voice, but Elena had heard him perfectly. His breath caressed her lips and she found her eyes drifting to stare at the source of that breath; _his lips_. Many times was she getting lost from looking at those full, luscious lips and wanting to kiss him just because she could, and without feeling guilty.

Not two weeks later and here she was again; fighting the urge to throw herself at a man who loved her and who she loved back.

Her body betrayed her as she found herself leaning into his touch and not pulling away. She managed to direct her eyes back to his piercing blue ones.

"What are you doing" She breathed; barely above a whisper. It wasn't a question, and that didn't go unnoticed in Damon's eyes.

He wasn't sure when they would get a moment like this again; where his over brooding brother and her judging friends wouldn't be around. He wanted to make this last; whatever _this_ was.

"I need you to remember…let me show you, Elena".

The way he purred her name, combined with his absentminded strokes of her cheeks with his thumbs had her in a state of calm and sedation. Elena closed her eyes and allowed Damon access to her mind.

Slowly, various scenes passed through her head; being on Wickery Road having had a fight with Matt, talking and flirting Damon who mistook her for Katherine originally, how he wished her a consuming love…and the compulsion.

Elena jerked back and away from Damon with a horrified expression. She found it hard to breathe and looked around the room frantically. It was a memory…he was telling the truth. A memory she had been denied on his behalf, but nevertheless true.

Her mind reeled with thoughts with this newfound knowledge. An array of images passed through her; her parent's death that same night, being compelled to find love, Stefan, and then the phone call...

_Maybe if you and I met first…_

She ran her hands through her long hair in an almost calming matter for her uneven breaths. Perfect time to have a panic attack.

Finally able to look up at the vampire who was inching his way back toward her cautiously; she jabbed a shaky finger in his direction stopping him instantly.

"Oh my god….we met first"

_TBC._

**A/n: So im not 100% happy with this, but I did try my best.**

**Please review, let me know I'm doing okay, and expect a steamy M chapter next!**

Follow me on twitter liz_bomb


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